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Steven York)Blogger360125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-2242069751688077345Wed, 18 Jul 2012 23:50:00 +00002012-07-18T17:01:26.578-07:00Evil will resume soon<div><p>Posting from my phone, so I will be brief. sorry about the interruption in your minion cartoons. Just when we thought medical adventures were taking a lull, mrs minion master ended up in a hospital 100 miles from home for emergency surgery, and I'm here with her. she is recovering well and we hope to be home in a few days.&nbsp; so I HOPE we'll be back to schedule shortly. Check back next week!</p></div>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/07/evil-will-resume-soon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-8354661631745185848Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:04:00 +00002012-07-02T03:06:11.290-07:00No. 1Number 2Number 9tentaclesToiletMinions #325 - Troublesome Clogs<br />Yes, we totally missed last week, without even a note of&nbsp;explanation. &nbsp;As I've said before, we've been dealing with an ongoing family health emergency that has just has us overloaded, and in addition, I had a story due on deadline for a real, live, paying anthology, and that took priority for the little time I did have. &nbsp;The good news, health emergency getting less "emerg" as time goes on, the story is turned in on time (another in my "Clockwork Cowboy" steampunk western series, if you were curious), and we have a new cartoon for you this week, right on time! &nbsp;Hey, you were probably on vacation and didn't even notice we were missing? &nbsp;Did you? &nbsp;DID YOU? &nbsp;Didn't think so!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q90wRxRKbUA/T_FxozgO2DI/AAAAAAAAEuA/QXwQKQf3soQ/s1600/Minions-Troublesome+clogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q90wRxRKbUA/T_FxozgO2DI/AAAAAAAAEuA/QXwQKQf3soQ/s400/Minions-Troublesome+clogs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Plunger!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>See you guys back here next week!</div><div><br /></div><div>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Minion Master Steve<br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Help save us from time-consuming work in the&nbsp;lucrative&nbsp;writing field! Support starving Minions in Lair-land by dropping a little something in our tip jar! 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Steven York)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-8951037577004035213Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:39:00 +00002012-06-18T03:40:31.410-07:00BathroomCatwalkNumber 2Number 9Minions #324 - Lesser of Two Evils<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2WsKUAPlNg/T97xFHEQKPI/AAAAAAAAEqw/059rtirw9lI/s1600/Minions-lesser+of+two+evils.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P2WsKUAPlNg/T97xFHEQKPI/AAAAAAAAEqw/059rtirw9lI/s400/Minions-lesser+of+two+evils.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for a Bigger Mess!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Plungers and Low-flows!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />Today's cartoon is brought to you by "Westward Weird," a great collection stories that put science-fiction and fantasy spins on tales of the old-west, including my steampunk western story, <i>The Clockwork Cowboy!</i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=0756407184" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Though I wrote <i>"Clockwork Cowboy"</i> as a stand-alone story, Liberty Brass, the damaged Confederate clockwork artilleryman hero of my story was too good to just let be. &nbsp;While "The Clockwork Cowboy" takes place later in his adventures, it raised so many questions about his past that I decided to skip back to his origins and start writing forward from there. &nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first follow-on story, "The Unwinding of Liberty Brass," is a prequel, flashing back to just after Liberty Brass parted ways with the Army of the Confederacy after the battle at Gettysburg. &nbsp;He's a broken man, literally, and figuratively, but a chance encounter will change his life, force him to choose between death, and the path that will lead him to become the Clockwork Cowboy of legend.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005890QAC/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B005890QAC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;Format=_SL160_&amp;ASIN=B005890QAC&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;WS=1&amp;tag=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to order from Amazon</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B005890QAC" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">And I'm happy to report that in just a few weeks, the next installment in the adventures of the Clockwork Cowboy will start appearing in ebook stores, and it's his biggest and wildest yet!<br /><br />As Liberty Brass and his amazing clockwork horse, Piston, make their way west, they are first attacked by a clockwork highwayman. &nbsp;They have no sooner subdued their attacker when they are all taken prisoner by a mysterious pair of clockwork men named Copperpot and Kettle, and taken to a forgotten plantation house deep in the Kentucky hills, ruled by the&nbsp;wondrous&nbsp;Steam Man. &nbsp;At first it seems a utopia, where mechanical men live in peace, free from the wars of men, and work for their common good.<br /><br />&nbsp;But there are secrets here, deep as a mine shaft, and dark as Kentucky coal, and Liberty learns that the price of truth just might be the loss of his freedom -- or his mechanical life!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbU-1kodm4E/T98EqbvBIVI/AAAAAAAAEq8/OoraDvxvxdU/s1600/The+Steam+Man's+Plantation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbU-1kodm4E/T98EqbvBIVI/AAAAAAAAEq8/OoraDvxvxdU/s400/The+Steam+Man's+Plantation.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Preview of the Cover for "The Steam Man's Plantation/"</td></tr></tbody></table>Watch this space for further announcements!<br /><br />See you folks back here next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b><i> - Clockwork Minion Master Steve</i></b></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/06/minions-324-lesser-of-two-evils.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-1012602260581197047Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:27:00 +00002012-06-11T05:29:01.003-07:00AirplanebaggageEvil AirGunsNumber 2snake-mentravelTSAMinions #323 - Carry on!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEu39WOK-wA/T9Xc94-M_wI/AAAAAAAAEnc/JRBohQEdaC4/s1600/Minions+Carry-on.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEu39WOK-wA/T9Xc94-M_wI/AAAAAAAAEnc/JRBohQEdaC4/s400/Minions+Carry-on.jpg" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click cartoon for Extra Baggage!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Shoulder-bags and roll-arounds!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m5zPisRtuno/T9XeZ9yNWLI/AAAAAAAAEnk/z78U6sjcZXw/s1600/shirt-dino-P6090173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m5zPisRtuno/T9XeZ9yNWLI/AAAAAAAAEnk/z78U6sjcZXw/s320/shirt-dino-P6090173.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is your shirt this cool? &nbsp;I think not!</td></tr></tbody></table>Today's cartoon is brought to you by the awesome new dinosaur-skeleton shirt that my wife just gave me as a birthday present!<br /><br />Now, I loves me some&nbsp;Hawaiian shirts, and I've got a bunch of them that I wear pretty much all summer, and any time I travel from Oregon to warmer locations in the winter. &nbsp;I especially love nerdy Hawaiian shirts, and I have a few that I treasure, with things like spiders, cartoon space shuttles, and giant Japanese robots.<br /><br />But shirts like that are hard to find off-the-shelf, and if you're an odd size like me (six-foot-six and none-too-slim, Steve smash!) it's just impossible. &nbsp;So the ones I've got have all been custom made, mostly hand-made gifts from my wonderful daughter.<br /><br />But she's got like, a life and stuff, and does not spend all her spare time making me shirts, and I know there are some of you out there who might lust after such a shirt, and have nobody at all who could make it for them. &nbsp;I've got a solution for you, but on to that in a minute...<br /><br />Anyway, you might think that the hard part about this shirt is the fabric, but turns out there are <i>TONS</i> of nerd-cool fabrics out there that would make a cool Hawaiian shirt. &nbsp;My wife found this one at a regular-old craft store, and there are plenty of on-line sources, and even on-line places that print custom fabrics. &nbsp;You can even buy stuff (including old and out-of-print designs) on eBay! &nbsp;So, once you have fabric, all you need is to find somebody to turn it into a shirt for you!<br /><br />So, how about the person who made mine (who just happens to be my sister-in-law) who is starting her own custom shirt business? &nbsp;Drop on over to <b><a href="http://www.fabricobsessions.com/sew-campy-shirts" target="_blank">Sew Campy Shirts</a></b> and see how it's done. &nbsp;The site is still under construction, but you'll find tips on picking and buying fabric, prices, and instructions on placing an order. <br /><br />And it doesn't have to take forever. &nbsp;Your ship could ship in as little as ten days. &nbsp;Yeah, it's going to cost you a little more than a store-bought shirt, but trust me, these things get attention, and there's nothing more satisfying when people ask about it (and they will ask) than to say, "why thanks, it's custom made!" &nbsp;And walk away knowing you've got the only one on the planet like it! &nbsp;<i>Winning!</i><br /><i><br /></i><br />Tell her I sent you, and she'll try extra hard to take all the pins out!<br /><br />I'll just be chilling out here in my awesome shirt, and see you folks back here next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b><i>- Minion Master, Steve</i></b><br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/06/minions-323-carry-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-8301218237003432231Mon, 04 Jun 2012 06:44:00 +00002012-06-03T23:46:02.024-07:00AirplaneEvil AirNo. 1Number 2Pilotsecuritysnake-menTSAMinions #322 - Boarding Instructions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7Fsd2v4wY4/T8xUlaaQGRI/AAAAAAAAElw/xTOD_o4Hyc0/s1600/Minions-Boarding-Instructions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7Fsd2v4wY4/T8xUlaaQGRI/AAAAAAAAElw/xTOD_o4Hyc0/s400/Minions-Boarding-Instructions.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for More Legroom</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, No-class Fliers!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />Sorry we totally flaked out on last week's cartoon. &nbsp;Pressures of family health emergencies have played havoc with our schedules and comedic energy levels.I had the concept for this week's cartoon worked out and had started building the set, but realized I wasn't going to get it done even by late Monday without pulling an all-nighter, and just decided to waste. &nbsp;The end-result is probably better than it would have been anyway, as it allowed me to dig out some mission props and to take my time setting things up a little more carefully. &nbsp;It took time and experimentation to get all the elements I wanted into the shot.<br /><br />It has been pointed out to me by Mrs. Minion Master that the background wall is suspiciously close to the plane, making you wonder what happened to the far wing. &nbsp;On considering this, I offer the following possible &nbsp;explanations:<br /><br /><b>A:</b> The "wall" in in fact the corner of something, or perhaps a much smaller structure. &nbsp;It ends just at the left of the cartoon and the plane's wing projects around the corner.<br /><br /><b>B:</b> The plane is a crazy cartoon plane like those commonly seen on the old "Bullwinkle and Rocky" commercials, with absurdly long landing gear, and even more absurdly short wings. &nbsp;Imagine a couple of cartoon clouds zooming past in the background on an endless loop, while the announcer intones: "Meanwhile our heroes could imagine that in the skies far above Frostbite Falls..." and you'll get the general idea.<br /><br /><b>C:</b>&nbsp;The wing broke off when the plane crashed into the building. &nbsp;This is not surprising when you realize the plane is clearly piloted by Charles&nbsp;Lindbergh, and he's dead. &nbsp;In this case, you have only to imagine that what Minion No. 1, standing in the background, is saying into his walkie-talkie is, "...oh, yeah, don't cancel the flight. &nbsp;That will totally buff out!"<br /><br /><b>D:</b>&nbsp;Why are you even wondering where the wing is when you first need to ask yourself, how did those enormous nose-wheels get through that little, tiny, landing gear door?<br /><br />See you folks back here next week -- if we don't get detained at security...<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b><i> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; - Your Pal in Gitmo, Minion Master Steve</i></b><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Enjoy "Minions at Work?" &nbsp;Support starving Minions in Lair-land! 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Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-8629267629123507563Wed, 30 May 2012 10:01:00 +00002012-05-30T03:01:41.618-07:00Sorry we're late this week...BUT WE'RE EVIL!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YgWYUkufYhU/T8XuHLaIRYI/AAAAAAAAElk/nC-K9U86VmQ/s1600/Minions+Week+off+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YgWYUkufYhU/T8XuHLaIRYI/AAAAAAAAElk/nC-K9U86VmQ/s200/Minions+Week+off+1.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><b>Your Minion Master Here,</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Sorry we're late this week, folks! &nbsp;I had every intention of getting a new cartoon out on Tuesday (because of the U.S. holiday). &nbsp;Had the gag all planned, and even started setting up for the shoot. &nbsp;</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>But a lot of Life has been happening here at the lair, what with a close family member having a triple heart bypass and Mrs. Minion Master spending the weekends in a neighboring city to take care of said relative. &nbsp;</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Between that, the holiday, and the fact that I've been busy writing a long-delayed piece of fiction (which I just finished a few minutes ago) I decided this week's cartoon could just get bumped down the priority list, and I wasn't going to lose any sleep over it. &nbsp;</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>So, while the above cartoon is not exactly correct about the situation, it does describe my mood at the moment. &nbsp;I&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;won't have the cartoon tonight, though it's always possible I could jump on it tomorrow or later in the week. &nbsp;</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>Or maybe I'll just say screw it, and run it next Monday instead. &nbsp;Uncertainty. &nbsp;It's how I roll right now.</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>So, while I hate to be an unreliable spoil-sport, that's just the way it's going to be this week.</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>But&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;I'll do better next week, so check back in a day or two if you want, just in case, and for sure be back here next Monday when there will for sure be a new <i>Minions at Work</i> cartoon!</b><br /><b><br /></b><br /><b>- Steve</b>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/05/sorry-were-late-this-weekbut-were-evil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-6018057700687330108Mon, 21 May 2012 11:52:00 +00002012-05-21T04:54:33.704-07:00BattleshipDoctor FunkysteinNumber 9Minions #321 - We're Sunk!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sAZUWZHVC7M/T7oLvMkIGNI/AAAAAAAAEi8/AK0zYyai5fI/s1600/Minions-we're+sunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sAZUWZHVC7M/T7oLvMkIGNI/AAAAAAAAEi8/AK0zYyai5fI/s400/Minions-we're+sunk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Bomb!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><hr /><b>Greetings, Studio Execs and Mini-Moguls!</b> <br /><b><br /></b><br />I've got to tell you, sometimes this comic is guided by powers beyond my control or understanding. &nbsp;Take tonight. &nbsp;It's been a stressful week here at the lair, dealing with some serious family health issues (all of which seem to be resolving well, knock on unobtainium), and arrived home tonight, short of sleep, after a day mostly spent in the car driving mountain roads, and with no new comic to post. &nbsp;I didn't even have a germ of an idea.<br /><br />And part of me said, "screw it, it can just be late this week, or I can take a week off! &nbsp;There are more important things, and I'm due!" &nbsp;But I took a few minutes to wander over to the Minions at Work stage and look around for some inspiration. &nbsp;And I picked up a box of assorted props that I hadn't look at in I-don't-know-how-long. &nbsp;And my hand fell on a tiny replica of a <i>Battleship </i><b>TM</b> game! &nbsp;No, fate had decreed that sleep would be a while in coming.<br /><br />Now, if you didn't know it, the <i>"Battleship"</i> movie opened in U.S. theaters this weekend, where it promptly caught fire, capsized, and sank. &nbsp;Based on weekend box-office numbers, it looks to follow "John Carter" as this summer's second big-budget flop.<br /><br />Now, part of me feels bad about this, because there are some nice folks over at Hasbro, which makes the Battleship game these days, and of course, I'm a huge fan of their classic GI Joe line, and have always had a soft-spot for the Transformers too. &nbsp;But for the life of me, I can't understand how a movie like <i>Battleship</i> ever seemed like a good idea to anyone.<br /><br />I mean, first of all, the idea that the game is a strong enough property to hang a major movie on pretty questionable. &nbsp;I mean, there aren't even any characters (unless you count the plucky PT boat defending its two peg holes)! &nbsp;But then, who thought, "let's turn it into an alien invasion movie? &nbsp;And then pack it full of effects that look like outtakes from <i>Transformers: Dark of the Moon!" &nbsp;</i><br /><br />This isn't the eighties folks! &nbsp;You can't just blame it all on the&nbsp;cocaine!<br /><br />But wait... &nbsp;Maybe this isn't as insane an idea as it seems! &nbsp;How's this for an alien-invasion "Battleship" movie premise:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Battleship</b></div><br />The nuclear aircraft carrier USS George Washington is scheduled to arrive at San Francisco harbor, but just off shore, the vessel slows to a stop and begins to drift. &nbsp;There are no signs of damage or distress, but the ship doesn't answer. &nbsp;When a helicopter is sent to investigate, the ship is empty, the crew missing. &nbsp;There is no sign of a struggle, no sign of violence. &nbsp;The crew has simply vanished...<br /><br />Meanwhile, back at the Pentagon, Admiral Distinguished (played by a distinguished elder actor with a certain kind of rough grit, Clint Eastwood being the perfect choice, but there are others) and his talented but abrasive new aid, Commander Studmuffin, have been charged by the Joint Chiefs to get to the bottom of the mystery. &nbsp;The Admiral is of course regarded as the greatest naval&nbsp;strategist of the modern age, and rapidly approaching retirement. &nbsp;Commander Studmuffin is brilliant but&nbsp;insubordinate. &nbsp;The Admiral, seeing his potential, has rescued him from a possible court-martial, and this is literally his last chance.<br /><br />They soon learn that naval crews, only the very best, are disappearing all over the fleet, and when a Russian frigate is found adrift in the north Atlantic, the admiral realizes it isn't just happening to the US Navy. &nbsp;He reaches out to a Russian admiral, and the two old cold-warriors face off. &nbsp;The Russian is at first reluctant to admit the truth, but then is convinced to confirm that the same thing is happening to them.<br /><br />Commander Studmuffin identifies a pattern in the disappearances, and is able to predict that the next disappearance will be the crew of a destroyer that his just left the very port they're at! &nbsp;Radio communications are down, and a storm has grounded aircraft. &nbsp;Fortunately, a small, plucky patrol boat is available that the Admiral commandeers to go after the destroyer and try and warn them.<br /><br />They arrive, but too late! &nbsp;They break out the fog and clouds to see a huge UFO hovering over the destroyer, which is trapped in a bubble of energy, like a fly in amber, a some kind of beam of energy scans the vessel. &nbsp;A second beam sweeps the plucky patrol boat, which fires off a missile to try and distract the UFO. &nbsp;This seems to work a little too well, as the UFO releases the destroyer and turns its attention on the little boat. &nbsp;They try to escape, using every trick the Admiral and his aide can come up with, but it's not enough. &nbsp;An energy field envelops the little vessel and...<br /><br />The Admiral and the Commander wake up on the bridge of a ship. &nbsp;A very OLD ship, though all the paint and equipment looks factory new. &nbsp;They stagger out onto the gangways and look down on the deck of a vast battleship floating in a calm sea. &nbsp;Below them, hundreds of sailors are pulling themselves from the deck, emerging from every hatch and passageway, dazed and confused. &nbsp;Where are they, and how did they get on the deck of the U.S.S. Iowa, looking as new and ship-shape as when it set out for sea-trials in 1940...<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />As the movie continues, the Admiral rallies a fleet of other US Naval vessels, all dating from the early 20th century, and they soon encounter a second fleet, lead by the Battleship&nbsp;Potemkin, captained by Admiral Distinguished's Russian counterpart! &nbsp;But that isn't all. &nbsp;There are other fleets, and other battleships: the Yamoto, the Bizmark, the Hood.<br /><br />The aliens appear and announce their intentions. &nbsp;They have been observing humanity for some time, and find our concept of war "entertaining." &nbsp;They want a show, and they've created this&nbsp;scenario to accomplish it, a watery "game board" on an alien world. &nbsp;The fleets must fight to the death, or their homelands will be "punished," both for failure to fight, and failure to win. &nbsp;Historical allies US and Britain are allowed to form an alliance, as are Russia and Japan. &nbsp;The Russians are left as a wild card, and may ally with any other fleets.<br /><br />At first they all refuse, but the aliens stage a demonstration, blowing a crater in the middle of Siberia that makes Tunguska Event look like a firecracker. &nbsp;They are stunned and horrified, but the Russian Admiral most of all, since even if it is empty tundra, it is still Russian soil.<br /><br />Fighting begins, at first reluctantly, then more seriously as damage and losses mount. &nbsp;The Admiral tries to court his Russian counterpart to join him, but the "Allied" fleet suffers early losses, and when the Hood is forced to&nbsp;sacrifice&nbsp;itself in a gambit to save the Allied fleet, he see weakness there.<br /><br />Shocked by the sinking of the Hood, all sides call a cease fire while ships of all fleet sweep in to rescue the crew. &nbsp;But that doesn't suit the aliens, who sweep in and make the survivors vanish before they can be plucked from the water.<br /><br />The Russian commander reluctantly announces his intention to ally with the "Axis" fleet. &nbsp;"I am sorry," he says to the Admiral, "but you are now weaker. &nbsp;I must think of my country. &nbsp;I must win!"<br /><br />But meanwhile, the Commander has been nagged by something from their first encounter with the aliens. &nbsp;It seemed as though the ship had faltered, not when the missile had hit it, but when they'd swept it with their radar at short range. &nbsp;This is interesting, since the Iowa has a&nbsp;primitive&nbsp;but powerful radar system, as do the other battleships. &nbsp;If they could be turned into weapons...<br /><br />But the Iowa is called to battle stations, as a flight of Japanese planes attacks. &nbsp;The anti-aircraft crews are inexperienced with their&nbsp;primitive&nbsp;weapons, and a single plane gets through to drop a bomb on the Iowa. &nbsp;It is a wooden practice bomb, with a message inside from the Japanese Admiral. &nbsp;One of their pilots, lost in fog, has found a way off the "game board" a passage to an alien base from which they appear to control the game and where their spacecraft are based.<br /><br />A single allied plane soon stages a "counter attack," dropping plans to convert the Yamoto and Bismark radars to disable alien spacecraft. &nbsp;Keeping up feigned engagements, minimizing losses, the fleets plan an attack on the alien base. &nbsp;The four Battleships may be able to protect a small volunteer fleet on a suicide run on the base. &nbsp;The Commander is given command of a destroyer whose captain and senior officers were killed in an earlier skirmish, and will lead the suicide fleet. &nbsp;The remains of the British fleet, eager for revenge, make up the bulk of the rest, though all fleets are represented. &nbsp;A massive battle is staged near the "exit," and when things seem hottest, all the fleets suddenly turn, the battleships and the volunteer fleet moving as one, the rest scattering to distract the alien ships and keep them busy. &nbsp;Every ship with a radar has been retuned as an anti-alien weapon, so this time they can do some damage...<br /><br />Under heavy fire, the attack fleet steams into the alien nest, catching them totally unaware. &nbsp;Everything blows up, including the special-effects budget! &nbsp;The battleships take incredible damage, but keep fighting like the juggernauts they are. &nbsp;There are losses everywhere. &nbsp;Ships are destroyed. &nbsp;Alien ships are destroyed. &nbsp;The Admiral makes a brave sacrifice, but even battered and in flames, the Iowa's guns keep firing.<br /><br />The Commander's destroyer steams on, but alien forces are&nbsp;overwhelming&nbsp;them, and the Battleships can't hold on much longer. &nbsp;But just then, the rest of the fleets, having circled back, join the fight. &nbsp;The destroyer slips through the small opening that's been created in their inner defenses and attacks the alien headquarters, all guns blazing, and the alien commander watches&nbsp;incredulous&nbsp;as the building falls in around him.<br /><br />The war has been won, but at what cost? &nbsp;The alien base is in tatters. &nbsp;The alien ships all lay broken and ruined. &nbsp;Ships are sinking. &nbsp;Many are run aground. &nbsp;All are damaged, and there are many losses. &nbsp;And how will they ever get home?<br /><br />Six Months Later: &nbsp;Back on Earth, there has been no sign of the aliens since the Siberian attack, and the missing sailors have been given up as lost. &nbsp;A world-wide day of mourning has been called, when suddenly, NASA spots an unidentified fleet of spacecraft crossing the orbit of the Moon. &nbsp;The President is preparing for interstellar attack when a video communication comes in from the approaching fleet. &nbsp;It is Commander, now Captain (field promotion) Studmuffin. &nbsp;He explains the situation briefly. &nbsp;"Sorry we were gone so long, but even with the best Naval men and women in the world it took us a while to figure out the alien technology and salvage whatever we could."<br /><br />"Then," says the president, "the aliens won't be back."<br /><br />Cut to Captain Studmuffin on the bridge of the USS Iowa, now retrofitted with alien controls and technology. &nbsp;"I'm afraid we haven't seen the last of them, Mister President. &nbsp;But next time will be different. &nbsp;Next time..."&nbsp;The view pulls back though a porthole, away from the Iowa, cruising through space, patched together and enhanced with alien engines, weapons, and technology. &nbsp;Around it are the similarly outfitted Potemkin, Yamoto, and Bismark. &nbsp;We pull further back, and as the music rises, the Hood, salvaged from the bottom an an alien sea, passes in the foreground. &nbsp;"Next time they'll have to face our <i>battleships!"</i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>END</b></div><br />Would have been in line to see that this weekend? &nbsp;Oh, hells yes, you know you would! <br /><br />Sorry Hasbro, Universal. &nbsp;Better luck next time. &nbsp;Email me at j-steven-york AT sff DOT net if I can help!<br /><br />I should really go the hell to sleep now...<br /><br />See you guys next week here at the Lair Theater.<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; <b><i>- Evil Script-doctor Steve</i></b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/05/minions-321-were-sunk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-7059374050896540961Sun, 13 May 2012 11:06:00 +00002012-05-13T04:06:16.691-07:00Girl-talkgoofing offNumber 6Number 67Minions #320 - Girl Talk<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6KaK13Q408/T6-UErGtHHI/AAAAAAAAD_0/TG-H8i7qkhE/s1600/Minions-Girl+Talk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H6KaK13Q408/T6-UErGtHHI/AAAAAAAAD_0/TG-H8i7qkhE/s400/Minions-Girl+Talk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for More Dish!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, BFFs and Girl-fiends!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-04Op2mN0C4M/T6iGWSzEF8I/AAAAAAAAD-I/tkYRmvXIjm8/s1600/Panorama+Covers+1-2+promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-04Op2mN0C4M/T6iGWSzEF8I/AAAAAAAAD-I/tkYRmvXIjm8/s200/Panorama+Covers+1-2+promo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Don't forget, you've only got till the end of the month to read my first "Panorama Beach" mystery, The Best Devil Money Can Buy," for FREE, all this month over on our writing site, YorkWriters.com.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.yorkwriters.com/2012/04/read-steves-first-panorama-beach.html" target="_blank"><b>READ The Best Devil Money Can Buy!</b></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you'd prefer to read it on your device, the ebook is only $2.99 in all Major ebook stores, and the sequel, "A Breath Away From Dying" is also&nbsp;available for $3.99. &nbsp;Like print? &nbsp;Well, an omnibus containing <i>both </i>ebooks is coming very soon! &nbsp;Watch for announcements!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>See you gals and guys back here next week, same Minion Time, same Minion Channel!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; - Minion Master Steve<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><b><br /></b><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/05/minions-320-girl-talk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-2066875130276049778Tue, 08 May 2012 02:47:00 +00002012-05-07T19:49:04.056-07:00dinosaurNewbieNo. 1Minions #319 - A Walk in the Park<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">On Twitter? &nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/minionno1" target="_blank">Follow Minion No. 1</a> for site updates,&nbsp;</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">the latest news from the forces of evil,&nbsp;</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">and more <i>Minions at Work</i> fun!&nbsp;</span></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26JzDba9CSE/T6iF8YaJceI/AAAAAAAAD-A/qvUcTYE5oxo/s1600/Minions-A+Walk+in+the+Park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="347" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-26JzDba9CSE/T6iF8YaJceI/AAAAAAAAD-A/qvUcTYE5oxo/s400/Minions-A+Walk+in+the+Park.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Dinosaur!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Pooper Scoopers!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-04Op2mN0C4M/T6iGWSzEF8I/AAAAAAAAD-I/tkYRmvXIjm8/s1600/Panorama+Covers+1-2+promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-04Op2mN0C4M/T6iGWSzEF8I/AAAAAAAAD-I/tkYRmvXIjm8/s200/Panorama+Covers+1-2+promo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Don't forget, you can read my first "Panorama Beach" mystery, The Best Devil Money Can Buy," for FREE, all this month over on our writing site, YorkWriters.com.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.yorkwriters.com/2012/04/read-steves-first-panorama-beach.html" target="_blank"><b>READ The Best Devil Money Can Buy!</b></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you'd prefer to read it on your device, the ebook is only $2.99 in all Major ebook stores, and the sequel, "A Breath Away From Dying" is also&nbsp;available for $3.99. &nbsp;Like print? &nbsp;Well, an omnibus containing <i>both </i>ebooks is coming very soon! &nbsp;Watch for announcements!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FZO90IjYsPo/T6iIBA-wibI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/Uzk4p19p9Rk/s1600/murder+buys+a+t-shirt-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FZO90IjYsPo/T6iIBA-wibI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/Uzk4p19p9Rk/s200/murder+buys+a+t-shirt-cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Also in the mystery front, Mrs. Minion master's new mystery, "Murder Buys a T-Shirt," is also available in mass-market paperback at your favorite bookstore, as well as on your favorite device. &nbsp;It's a fun contemporary mystery set in North Florida, featuring a souvenir shop owner and her foul-mouthed parrot which sometimes channels the voice of her late-uncle's ghost!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">See you guys back here next week for more Minions madness!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>- Minion Master, Steve</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! 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Steven York)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-539438858118361499Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:54:00 +00002012-04-30T04:56:18.412-07:00goofing offLunchNo. 1Number 2Number 67SkeletonMinions #318 - Office Light Weight<div style="text-align: center;">Read today's Post And Read a Free Mystery!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KTOQm6JzIaM/T557dHZ-aBI/AAAAAAAAD7g/pwr60MNQW9E/s1600/minions-weightless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KTOQm6JzIaM/T557dHZ-aBI/AAAAAAAAD7g/pwr60MNQW9E/s400/minions-weightless.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for More of Less!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Shin-Splints and Rib-cages!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.yorkwriters.com/2012/04/read-steves-first-panorama-beach.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0lvZV5MtUA/T557uTWVAUI/AAAAAAAAD7o/iUveYQ4KlIc/s200/Panorama+Covers+1-2+promo.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Read "The Best Devil Money Can Buy " FREE</td></tr></tbody></table>If you missed out on our coupon offer a while back or just don't have an ereader device yet, you've got yet another chance to read the first in my "Panorama Beach" mystery series for free, this time directly on the web!<br /><br />Find it <a href="http://www.yorkwriters.com/2012/04/read-steves-first-panorama-beach.html">HERE!</a><br /><br />See you guys back here next week with more "Minions at Work!"<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <b><i>&nbsp;-Minion Master Steve</i></b><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/04/minions-318-office-light-weight.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-2798233608779266117Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:52:00 +00002012-04-22T23:52:45.755-07:00dinosaurdoor-to-doorinsuranceNumber 2salesMinions #318 - Sales Forced<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jRVdsuCNuc/T5T6mXo8v3I/AAAAAAAAD3I/jLZ1obcTgng/s1600/Minions+-+Sales+Forced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7jRVdsuCNuc/T5T6mXo8v3I/AAAAAAAAD3I/jLZ1obcTgng/s400/Minions+-+Sales+Forced.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Upsell!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Cold Calls and Dubious Leads!</span><br /><br />&nbsp;This week I'm presenting a bonus bit of pop-culture business. &nbsp;It's amazing just how many cartoon trivia references and pop-culture call-outs this "DC Nation" short, which first aired this week, squeezes into just over a minute. &nbsp;I was especially delighted to see the call-out to my beloved, 1970s, GI Joe Adventure Team (complete with life-like hair and beard), the 12" GI Joe connection being my excuse for posting it here...<br /><br />&nbsp; <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rPnfVIczNYc" width="560"></iframe><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />See you guys back here next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b><i>- Minion Master Steve</i></b><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/04/minions-318-sales-forced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-7657954627494010170Mon, 16 Apr 2012 11:20:00 +00002012-04-16T04:21:08.494-07:00anti-gravityNo. 1Number 9Minions #317 - Anti-gravity<div style="text-align: center;"><b>If you missed our BONUS cartoon Thursday and its real-life back-story, see it <a href="http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/04/bonus-minions-316-drywall-day.html" target="_blank">HERE!</a></b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PktWEEOsZks/T4v9rlE0ksI/AAAAAAAAD2M/YgbXsN-SkOw/s1600/Minions-strapped+for+cash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PktWEEOsZks/T4v9rlE0ksI/AAAAAAAAD2M/YgbXsN-SkOw/s400/Minions-strapped+for+cash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Uplift!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Intimates and Undergarments!</span> <br /><b><br /></b><br />Well, it's been a time for celebration this last week, as some good friends of the Lair had an anniversary of sorts, and so did we (see the bonus cartoon and the post that goes with it for details). &nbsp;Also, congrats to Mrs. Minion Master for turning in the new book in her "Haunted&nbsp;Souvenir Shop" mystery series (the first installment, "Murder Buys a T-Shirt" is available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425246663/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0425246663" target="_blank">here </a>and wherever books or ebooks are sold).<br /><br />We're going to keep things short this week, as there's a big storm blowing in (somebody has been using the weather control machine to keep their coffee warm again) and we want to get this posted before any possible power failures (we blame the forces of good!).<br /><br />See you guys next week.<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <b><i>&nbsp;- Minion Master Steve</i></b><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/04/minions-317-anti-gravity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-6148265545427117448Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:14:00 +00002012-04-12T03:16:08.796-07:00constructionDrywall DayNumber 6Number 9Numero CincoRobTech MinionsXimenaBonus Minions #316 - Drywall Day!<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Be Sure to Read Our Post for the Romantic, True Story of "Drywall Day!"</b></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6PWrolR3OcM/T4agKpXrINI/AAAAAAAADzY/04C3Lu0oLwY/s1600/Minions-Drywall+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6PWrolR3OcM/T4agKpXrINI/AAAAAAAADzY/04C3Lu0oLwY/s400/Minions-Drywall+day.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for More On-the-job Romancing!</td></tr></tbody></table>Hey, gang! &nbsp;Welcome to a special, top-secret, mid-week "Minions at Work" update! &nbsp;Why the bonus cartoon, and what the hell is "drywall day?" &nbsp;Well, it's a very special anniversary, both for us here at the Lair, and for long-time friends of the Minions (and us), Rob and Ximena, and here's the untold story...<br /><br />Way back when Mrs. Minion Master and I fled Eugene, Oregon, just ahead of the authorities to our present undisclosed-location, we cleverly disguised our new lair by buying a 1940s cottage with the intent of upgrading it to serve the forces of evil. &nbsp;At some point about ten years ago we decided that we would convert the semi-attached garage into a new office for myself and my large collection of action-figures. &nbsp;At this point, the Minions were but a glimmer in my eye. &nbsp;We had no idea that the office would soon double as the photo-studio in which the Minions and their tiny world would take up residence.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UPsQ0FD8uhM/T4amUGppY7I/AAAAAAAAD0Y/HUExq4aDN7M/s1600/rob-ximena-birthday-party-+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UPsQ0FD8uhM/T4amUGppY7I/AAAAAAAAD0Y/HUExq4aDN7M/s320/rob-ximena-birthday-party-+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We elected to take on the conversion ourselves, and to speed up the work, we called on a group of extra-friendly friends and had a "drywall party," kind of like a modern-day barn-raising, where we'd have plenty of hands to put up the sheet-rock on the walls. &nbsp;And like I said, a good number of excellent friends showed up from near and far, including Rob and Ximena, who decided to car-pool over. &nbsp;Just to show you the kind of friends they are, it was Rob's birthday and they came anyway. &nbsp;(We did get him a cake, turning it into possibly history's only "drywall birthday party!)<br /><br />Anyway, Rod and Ximena started out that weekend as a carpool, and ended it a couple, and they've been together ever since! &nbsp;In fact, they're married, and a while back, moved from Oregon to sunny Arizona. &nbsp;And apparently, they'd kept alive the memory of "Drywall Day" as a kind of anniversary for them. &nbsp;As and I said, it has been ten years. &nbsp;So when Ximena approached me about doing a special "Minions at Work" cartoon in honor of their anniversary, there was absolutely no way I could say no!<br /><br />It was a bit of work though. &nbsp;For example, I decided that I needed some Minion-scale surrogates (not look-alikes, that would have taken a lot more time and resources than we had) for Rob and Ximena, which was tough, considering we only had one female Minion, Number 67, and she didn't even remotely look the part. &nbsp;But it was well-past time to diversify the crew, so I grabbed one of the Frankensteined <i>Liv </i>dolls I've been using to make female civilians and slapped a Minions uniform on her. &nbsp;It was a rush job, and the fit of the uniform isn't great, but I think she turned out pretty good. &nbsp;I'll try and tweak her look for future appearances, but she'll&nbsp;definitely&nbsp;be back. &nbsp;There were other complications as well, like cutting sheets of 1/6th scale drywall! <br /><br />And life threw us some curve-balls too, in the form of a major, seemingly life-threatening health scare for a family member, and Mrs. Minion Master was in the midst of finishing up her next mystery novel, which was already past deadline!<br /><br />As always, there are things I wish we could have gotten better, but we got-er-done!<br /><br />Anyway, happy tenth Drywall Day, guys (happy birthday too, Rob), and we'll be celebrating the birthday of the Lair here as well!<br /><br />And we'll see everybody back here Monday for our regularly-scheduled Minion Madness!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b><i> &nbsp;-&nbsp;Matrimonial Minion Master, Steve</i></b><br /><br /><br /><hr /><b><br /></b>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/04/bonus-minions-316-drywall-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-5580106051191308139Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:46:00 +00002012-04-09T00:46:54.463-07:00Cap'n RehabNavigationNumber 9Submarine NaughtylessTaco BellMinions #315 - Unclear Course<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WXr5MULL6Z8/T4KTGXgdNkI/AAAAAAAADys/WNbTU56FDbo/s1600/Minions+-+Unclear+Course.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WXr5MULL6Z8/T4KTGXgdNkI/AAAAAAAADys/WNbTU56FDbo/s400/Minions+-+Unclear+Course.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Greater Ambiguity!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Magnetic Deviations and Uncorrected Courses!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />This being a holiday weekend, I'd normally wait to post this week's cartoon on Tuesday, but this is a SPECIAL week here at the lair, and we have a SECOND, TOP SECRET cartoon that will appear later in the week! &nbsp;In fact, it's so secret, even WE don't know what it is yet! &nbsp;But we'll come up with something! &nbsp;Check back, oh, Thursday or so!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Mysterious Minion Master, Steve<br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/04/minions-315-unclear-course.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-2616657930445485123Mon, 02 Apr 2012 06:50:00 +00002012-04-01T23:51:03.709-07:00apocalypsedoor-to-doorNumber 2outdoorssurveyMinions #314 - Survey Says!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnK3K_97Y_k/T3lGNi8m-ZI/AAAAAAAADxM/PRjjUrOfEWU/s1600/Minions-Survey+Says-IMG_3588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnK3K_97Y_k/T3lGNi8m-ZI/AAAAAAAADxM/PRjjUrOfEWU/s400/Minions-Survey+Says-IMG_3588.jpg" width="386" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Standard Deviants and Sampling Errors!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />A special challenge of doing a photo comic like "Minions at Work" is that I can't just think of a gag and draw a picture. &nbsp;I have to find a way to visualize it with objects that I have on hand (or make, or can buy). &nbsp;This creates special problems in a ways you wouldn't expect.<br /><br />For instance, we have a large "cast" of standard characters in action-figure form. &nbsp;Some of these have only been used once or twice, but some of them get used very often. &nbsp;Some characters like Minion No. 1, Number 2, and Number 9 appear in a hung percentage of my comics, and so get used a lot. &nbsp;And of course, I've been doing this for years now, so those action figures are subject to wear, tear, and the ravages of time. There also the danger that if any of my "actors" were lost or damaged, I'd have no way to replace them. &nbsp;No. 1 and Number 2 both have "doubles" in case of damage or loss, and some of the others I might be able to replace or repair through some&nbsp;diligent Ebay shopping. &nbsp;But most of the base action figures I use here are obscure, and in some cases, very rare. &nbsp;The Penguin is a special problem. &nbsp;I'd dearly love to have duplicates so I could safely modify him for greater articulation, but even though he's probably a generic dollar store toy under his costume, he originally came from a thrift store, and I've NEVER found another like him, despite years of searching.<br /><br />So I'm careful with unique items, and I sometimes find myself needing to do repairs. &nbsp;This week, for example, I fixed a long-standing problem with Minion Number 2. &nbsp;The elastic that holds his gas mask on has been slowly stretching out of shape till it could no longer hold his mask on. &nbsp;An earlier repair attempt to one strap had used the wrong size and shape of elastic and tended to roll off the back of his head, causing the mask to&nbsp;re-position&nbsp;itself. &nbsp;But I finally found the right kind of elastic and took the time to replace the tiny straps. &nbsp;He's all better for this week's panel!<br /><br />And there are other problems as well. &nbsp;I've got lots of generic "civilian" figures for street, office and bar scenes, but most of them are male. &nbsp;It's surprisingly hard to find realistic female action figures in 1/6th scale. &nbsp;Barbie's lack of realistic proportions are well reported in the press, and most versions of Barbie are so stiff and lacking in articulation that they look more like victims of some kind of poison-dart attack than real women. &nbsp;And while there are true "action figure" women that are supposedly 1/6th scale, most are built like male-fantasy centerfolds, and are half a head taller than the average 1/6th male figure. &nbsp;My Minions are a bit taller than the average GI Joe, but not tall enough for many of them. &nbsp;Maybe okay for super-heroines, amazons or super-villainesses, but not for your average woman on the street.<br /><br />Well, I've finally found a recipe to easily and (for the moment, anyway) cheaply create realistic, articulated, and proportional female figures to use in my cartoons. &nbsp;I use Liv dolls for bodies. &nbsp;These are big-headed mutant dolls in the style of the better-known Bratz dolls, but the bodies are well articulated and come in a variety of skin tones. &nbsp;It's also easy to swap the big-mutant head for any of a zillion types of traditional fashion-doll heads. &nbsp;The combination results in fairly realistic female figure that scales out well under six feet tall, and doesn't look like she has beach-balls for breast implants. &nbsp;I've now got a half-dozen or so of these (you see one in today's panel). &nbsp;So next time I do a bar scene, it won't have to be such a sausage-fest.<br /><br />Donate using the button below, and you can help me to buy even more women to use here at the lair! &nbsp;Wait. &nbsp;That came out ALL wrong!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; - Minion Master Steve<br /><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! 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Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-4712537886392207679Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:13:00 +00002012-03-27T00:14:40.488-07:00depressionDoctor FunkysteinDoctor Head-in-a-JarLaboratoryMinions #313 - That Sinking Feeling!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPPzlCSlfAE/T3FnV70MZ9I/AAAAAAAADwc/Uz91AXPR9Vs/s1600/Minions+Overlords+-+Down+the+drain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPPzlCSlfAE/T3FnV70MZ9I/AAAAAAAADwc/Uz91AXPR9Vs/s400/Minions+Overlords+-+Down+the+drain.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Major Moping</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Sink Traps and Plumber's Nightmares!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />Due to extenuating circumstances here at the Lair, we're running late this week, so I'm going to keep this short. &nbsp;But I'd like to dedicate this cartoon to everybody out there that could use a little cheering up. &nbsp;You know who you are!<br /><br />Baring more&nbsp;unforeseen&nbsp;emergencies, we'll be back here next week! &nbsp;See you then!<br /><br /><b><i>- Steve</i></b><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/03/minions-313-that-sinking-feeling.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-5457436086211676838Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:22:00 +00002012-03-19T14:50:32.902-07:00class warDoctor FunkysteinDoctor WallstreetgreedLaboratoryToxinWallstreetMinions #312 - Meet Doctor Wallstreet<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kz4WyJbWA4o/T2cQbZz7-BI/AAAAAAAADtw/Z50yvByUE10/s1600/Minions-Meet+Doctor+Wallstreet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kz4WyJbWA4o/T2cQbZz7-BI/AAAAAAAADtw/Z50yvByUE10/s400/Minions-Meet+Doctor+Wallstreet.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Bailout!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Fertilizer Spreaders and Tissue Matches!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />A funny thing happened along the way to this week's cartoon...<br /><br /><br />We've never gone out of our way to be topical here at Minions at Work, though we've occasionally strayed across the line when there was a joke or a topic I just couldn't resist (as in last week's cartoon). &nbsp;But in general, we've always steered clear of anything too controversial.<br /><br /><br />But last week I was looking through some of our stats to see which cartoons had the most page views, and to my surprise, pretty much all of the most popular ones had some topical element to them. &nbsp;Which means my new&nbsp;philosophy&nbsp;here is that while I'm not going to seek out controversy simply for shock value, I'm not going to be quite as gun-shy about doing that kind of material if it suggests itself.<br /><br /><br />Now, don't expect "Minions at Work" to turn into "Doonesbury." &nbsp;My preference is still for irreverent and absurdest humor and for pop-culture references rather than political ones. &nbsp;But you may see a few more topical cartoons now and then, especially as we head into the election (which has already reached off-the-chart levels of insanity). &nbsp;And know that as always, we will always lampoon real-life's lesser-evils where ever we see them.<br /><br /><br />It was in this spirit that I was inspired to throw together a new Overlord this week, "Doctor Wallstreet." &nbsp;Really, in retrospect, I should have had a character to dig into Wall Street and&nbsp;corporate&nbsp;greed a long time ago. &nbsp;I have a family member who used to work in the legal department of a brokerage firm, and then quit in large part because they couldn't stomach the ethics of what was going on there. &nbsp;This was a long time before the economic collapse or the bail-outs started, so this has been on my radar for a quite a while.<br /><br /><br />Normally, when I make a new character, they sit around the studio here for a while as I figure out who and what they are before featuring them in a cartoon. &nbsp;But this time I felt I was already so late to the party, Doctor Wallstreet got shoved out there pretty much as soon as I'd put him together.<br /><br />So I don't really know what his back-story is yet. &nbsp;All we know is, he's&nbsp;hideously&nbsp;scarred, wears a power suit with black gloves, and carries an aluminum brief-case. &nbsp;At the moment, he's also wearing a riot-gear helmet and an assortment of tear-gas grenades, but his accessories may change as time goes by and those cease to be relevant.<br /><br />I don't know how much we'll see of him. &nbsp;Some villains like Doctor Coldblood, Doctor Funkystein, and Doctor Head-in-a-Jar show up all the time. &nbsp;Others, like Cap'n Rehab, show up&nbsp;regularly&nbsp;but less often. &nbsp;And others like Doctor Santa show up only a few times a year, or only as supporting characters or in Legion of Dread group shots. &nbsp;Only the future will tell. &nbsp;And <i style="font-weight: bold;">past performance is no&nbsp;guarantee&nbsp;of future results! </i>There. &nbsp;The Legal Department told me I had to put that in.<br /><br />See you guys back here next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <b><i>- Minimally Topical Minion Master, Steve</i></b><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/03/minions-312-meet-doctor-wallstreet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-7340429886084074966Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:40:00 +00002012-03-12T02:41:56.763-07:00Doctor ColdbloodDoctor FunkysteinDoctor Head-in-a-JarOverlordMinions #311 - Spin Doctoring<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OUX5dE8Pws/T13Cd8KoCjI/AAAAAAAADpM/QhrlDjGDhjk/s1600/Minions+Overlords+-+Spin+doctoring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OUX5dE8Pws/T13Cd8KoCjI/AAAAAAAADpM/QhrlDjGDhjk/s400/Minions+Overlords+-+Spin+doctoring.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for bigger PAC money!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><hr /><b>Greetings, Fringe-groups and Core&nbsp;Constituencies!</b> <br /><b><br /></b><br />Hey, we only occasionally get political here at Minions at Work. &nbsp;But considering some of the clowns and nut-jobs who have managed to get themselves on the national radar this election season, you can't blame us for at least poking fun at the process. &nbsp;Especially not the part where the candidate, who appeals only to a loyal base consisting only of one-eyed, one-armed, left-handed neo-Nazi, anime-loving, poodle breeders, and who sends everyone else screaming for the exits, is "rebranded" in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience. <br /><br /><br />Let's face it folks, the old saying is true: you can't make a silk-purse out of a&nbsp;genetically&nbsp;engineered dinosaur-man, no matter what color Kool-aid you make him drink. <br /><br /><br />Just sayin.'<br /><br /><br />See you guys back here next week!<br /><br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Muddled Message Minion Master Steve<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/03/minions-311.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-57354892361467470Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:53:00 +00002012-03-05T01:54:26.875-08:00Ancient MinionenlightenmentNumber 9WarehouseWisdomMinions #310 - Pay Per View<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RyZjwWvGIR0/T1SCM7B4eHI/AAAAAAAADkk/2Hf5GGnTRLM/s1600/Minions-Pay+Per+View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RyZjwWvGIR0/T1SCM7B4eHI/AAAAAAAADkk/2Hf5GGnTRLM/s400/Minions-Pay+Per+View.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Greater Enlightenment</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Seekers and Suckers!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0DYXuntmp0c/T1SIbkfkpgI/AAAAAAAADks/m93jyt9lqxw/s1600/murder+buys+a+t-shirt-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0DYXuntmp0c/T1SIbkfkpgI/AAAAAAAADks/m93jyt9lqxw/s200/murder+buys+a+t-shirt-cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Occasionally we must all pay the price of Minion enlightenment, so I'm pleased to announce that Mrs. Minion Master (writing under her pen-name of Christy Fifield) has a new mystery novel coming out in trade paperback and ebook tomorrow (Monday, March 6th, 2012) from the fine folks at Berkley Prime Crime. &nbsp;It's called "Murder Buys a T-Shirt," and it's the first in a new series of mysteries set in the Florida Panhandle, and set in a -- wait for it -- haunted&nbsp;souvenir&nbsp;shop! &nbsp;Yes, there are dead bodies, tacky post-cards, clue-delivering ghosts, and a foul-mouthed parrot that will make you laugh out loud! &nbsp;Surely you or some mystery lover you know will enjoy it! &nbsp;Make it happen!<br /><br />Better yet, make it happen in the first couple days of release, when even a small spike in numbers can really help a book's long-term success!<br /><br />Why? &nbsp;Because the Minions need support to keep up our evil activities, and whatever Mrs. Minion Master makes is <i>community property!</i> &nbsp;Half of that cash is mine, baby! &nbsp;We're <b><i>EVIL </i></b>dammit! <br /><br />So order a copy right now on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425246663/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0425246663" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-buys-a-t-shirt-christy-fifield/1102497724" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780425246665-0" target="_blank">Powell's Books,</a>&nbsp;your favorite local bookseller, or on your favorite device!&nbsp;Do it now! &nbsp;Your Minion Master commands it!<br /><br />See you next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b> - Minion Shillmaster Steve</b><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/03/minions-310-pay-per-view.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-4717779307016909873Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:52:00 +00002012-02-27T22:55:20.962-08:00GhostbustersHeinleinmoviesNo. 1Number 9Starship TroopersMinions #309 - Bug Busters<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WEjYoGQK_as/T0xxAHdvoGI/AAAAAAAADiA/TfH_uBmsSYg/s1600/Minions+-+Bug-Busters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WEjYoGQK_as/T0xxAHdvoGI/AAAAAAAADiA/TfH_uBmsSYg/s400/Minions+-+Bug-Busters.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to Cross (Bigger) Beams!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Pests and Pesticides!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />This week I've pulled a couple of officially licensed toys out of the collection here to pay tribute to a couple of movies I love, <i>Ghostbusters </i>and <i>Starship Troopers.</i>&nbsp;Ghostbusters is a comedy classic, and reports have circulated the last couple of years that a new sequel is in development. &nbsp;Just as many reports have circulated that Bill Murray doesn't want to do it, and that it won't go without Murray. &nbsp;I can't say if that's a good thing or not. &nbsp;Ghostbusters II was less than a masterpiece. &nbsp;But the concept is simply too wonderful not to revive in some form. <br /><br />The 1/6th scale Ghostbusters Ray figure here is one of a limited edition set that was made by Mattel a couple years back, and sold only through their web-site. &nbsp;They made a whole set, but the budget here precluded my getting more than one. &nbsp;Still, the wonderful little ghost-trap and proton pack are the real attractions, and they were identical on every figure, so in a sense, get one, get them all.<br /><br />When I first saw director Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, I was a bit mystified by it, and very&nbsp;disappointed it didn't included the powered armor than had been a highlight of the book, and that I'd been waiting to see in a movie since I read it back in the 60s.&nbsp;I didn't come away hating it, but I wasn't sure if I liked it either. &nbsp;But it had it's moments, the bugs looked great, and to my mind Doogie Howser M.D. marching around in a pseudo S.S. uniform was just awesome.<br /><br />But a year or two back I happened to pick up the DVD in the bargain bin, just for the bonus material, and watched it again. &nbsp;To my surprise, I loved it. &nbsp;It's a brilliantly subversive film that parodies Heinlein's border-line&nbsp;fascism basically by playing it straight (and just a little over the top). &nbsp;Essentially, it's an old-time&nbsp;propaganda&nbsp;movie&nbsp;created by a&nbsp;fascist state we're supposed to be horrified. &nbsp;Basically, if you watch carefully, you'll see the the whole war is based on a tissue of lies, and that there clearly other agendas at work. &nbsp;In many ways, it would have been considered a brilliant parody of the second invasion of Iraq, except it happened first.<br /><br />Yes, I still miss the powered armor, but you can get your temporary fix by rewatching the power-loader battle with the alien queen in <i>Aliens.</i><br /><br />So, it works on two levels, as a straight-forward, gung-ho, kick-butt action movie, and as political satire, and it does both very, very well. &nbsp;I've watched it again since, and there's something new to think about every time. &nbsp;Or don't think. &nbsp;Just turn off your brain, sit back, and enjoy the explosions and carnage. &nbsp;It's the movie for all occasions!<br /><br />This Galoob movie-tie-in soldier-bug toy is a fortunate thrift-store find. &nbsp;I think I paid $2 for him. &nbsp;They're going for $10-25 loose on eBay, and over twice that in the box. &nbsp;He's not really in scale with the Minions figures (he should probably be about twice as big) but he's still a big, impressive toy, and love the "chomp-chomp-chomp" sound effect it makes when you close his jaws on something!<br /><br />There's also a new Starship Troopers movie in the works, possibly for 2014, though it's a long way from a sure thing. &nbsp;I don't know if it will be any good, but by all reports, it will at least have powered armor this time.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ACPKXI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B007ACPKXI" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zh9DW00a_0w/T0x41psmD9I/AAAAAAAADiI/JUFPSIK4310/s200/Panorama+Cover-breath+away+from+dying-+test+x4-2.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords</td></tr></tbody></table><b>THIS WEEK'S CARTOON BROUGHT TO YOU BY MY NEW <i>PANORAMA BEACH </i>MYSTERY, <i>A BREATH AWAY FROM DYING!</i></b><br /><b><i><br /></i></b><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Deputy "Mustang" Sawtell knows there's something wrong with the scene when he responds to a prowler call at the Aquarama aquarium and underwater-show, and finds a dead mermaid laying on the shore of the Mermaid Grotto. But he's dismissed from the case by a treacherous superior officer, who bungles the investigation and rules her death an accident.&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So when Sheriff "Big" Bass asks him to take a secretive, off-duty, second look at the case, he's eager to please despite the danger.&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But there are deep secrets, cut-throat business, old-flames, and hidden agendas waiting for him, and before Mustang knows which way the tide is running, he'll be in hot water -- face-to-face with a killer!</span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Welcome to Panorama Beach, Florida, 1967, where the sand is white as sugar, the attractions are larger-than-life, and the money is all dirty and rolling in like a storm tide! Deputy "Mustang" Sawtell is the new badge in town, and he just wants to do the right thing.&nbsp;</span></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></span></span><br /><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But he's fallen under the wing of his dangerous and morally compromised boss, Sherriff "Big" Bass, who calls himself "the best devil money can buy." Big Bass will tell you that he may be a little bad, but anybody who replaces him will be even worse. Mustang would really like to believe that -- because otherwise, this good-old-boy may have just booked himself on a rocket-ride to hell!</span><br /><b><i><br /></i></b><br /><b>Now on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords. &nbsp;Coming soon to all major ebook sellers!</b><br /><b><br /></b><br />See you guys back here next week!<br /><br />- Mystery Minion Master Steve<br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/02/click-to-cross-bigger-beams-greetings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-4466314884063112133Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:13:00 +00002012-02-21T03:15:45.421-08:00Cheez WhizMapsMinion CincoNavigationNo. 1Number 2Number 9Minions #308 - Map Snacks (and some free fiction)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-Co5HN4lpU/T0N5iusAueI/AAAAAAAADgw/uN2eUeTBkhM/s1600/Minions-Map+Challenged.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H-Co5HN4lpU/T0N5iusAueI/AAAAAAAADgw/uN2eUeTBkhM/s400/Minions-Map+Challenged.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Extra Cheez!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Garmins and Tomtoms!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />We're late a day this week, and it's by design. &nbsp;Guess I should have announced it ahead of time, but we had a good reason. &nbsp;Nobody notices if we post an announcement of a new cartoon if we do it on a weekend or a major holiday, and Monday was a U.S. holiday, so we held back till Tuesday. &nbsp;In fact, you can pretty much assume we will do that for EVERY major U.S. holiday that falls over a Monday. &nbsp;I know the little fine print at the bottom of each cartoon says, "New Minions Every Monday!", but that's a lie. &nbsp;We're EVIL, dammit! &nbsp;So deal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qX2EXPjFPhQ/T0N8MN6ui3I/AAAAAAAADg4/v-5Di2gdXtQ/s1600/Goodspeed+cover+800x1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qX2EXPjFPhQ/T0N8MN6ui3I/AAAAAAAADg4/v-5Di2gdXtQ/s200/Goodspeed+cover+800x1200.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>Monday was also the 50th anniversary of the first flight of John Glenn, the first American astronaut into orbit, and in honor of that, my wife, Mrs. Minion Master, AKA multi-published author Christina F. York (AKA mystery writers Christy Evans and Christy Fifield. &nbsp;Yes, she has aliases. &nbsp;We're EVIL dammit!) has decided to make one of her favorite science-fantasy stories available for free over on her blog. &nbsp;It's an alternate-history story about John Glenn, and it's called Godspeed. &nbsp;Check it out <b><a href="http://christy-evans-mystery.blogspot.com/2012/02/free-fiction-god-speed.html" target="_blank">here.</a></b><br /><br />See you guys back here next week. &nbsp;Maybe even on Monday.<br /><br /><i><b>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Master Monday Mover Steve</b></i><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/02/minions-308-map-snacks-and-some-free.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-8488211759959092158Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:23:00 +00002012-02-14T00:47:28.405-08:00deceptionGreat Heroice-creamNewbieNo. 1Number 10Number 2trapMinions #307 - Sweet Deception<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GaNLiTuHqxg/TzmTy501CQI/AAAAAAAADgE/9cgiqnN8Mec/s1600/Minions-sweet+deception.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GaNLiTuHqxg/TzmTy501CQI/AAAAAAAADgE/9cgiqnN8Mec/s400/Minions-sweet+deception.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for Double Scoops!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Sweet Tooths!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />I think this week's cartoon has something metaphorically do do with Valentine's Day traditions. &nbsp;Or maybe homoerotically. &nbsp;Not really sure on that. &nbsp;Probably don't want to go there anyway.<br /><br />Oh, well, a shortage of female Minions has minimized the number of traditional dating and relationship cartoons we've done over the years, but stay tuned. &nbsp;Later in the post, I'll re-run a couple of my favorites from the past! &nbsp;But first, a word from our sponsor!<br /><br />In honor of Valentine's Day, today's cartoon is brought to you by the romance novels of Mrs. Minion Master, Christina F. York! &nbsp;Maybe not your cup of tea (and if they are, I sure won't tell!) but I'm sure you know some lady who would enjoy them as a gift! &nbsp;Check them out!<br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=B004I43BEQ" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=B004J4WZKQ" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=B003Y74MUU" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>All are also available on Barnes &amp; Noble Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Sony, and other major ebook outlets.<br /><br />&nbsp;Okay, now time for those bonus cartoons I promised! <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xw-_x-xFxTc/Rc4fYef_tPI/AAAAAAAAAFY/98OiRZVsGcs/s1600-h/minions-strangers-in-the-night.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029992339184006386" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xw-_x-xFxTc/Rc4fYef_tPI/AAAAAAAAAFY/98OiRZVsGcs/s400/minions-strangers-in-the-night.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xw-_x-xFxTc/SXEo3S4aYGI/AAAAAAAABIY/JVZv9UYaxfo/s1600-h/Overlords-Snake+eyes.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292055967563407458" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xw-_x-xFxTc/SXEo3S4aYGI/AAAAAAAABIY/JVZv9UYaxfo/s400/Overlords-Snake+eyes.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 394px;" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5272/673/1600/Minions-pick-up-line.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5272/673/400/Minions-pick-up-line.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0 10px 10px 0;" /></a><br />See you folks back here at the Lair next week!<br /><br />- Minion Master Steve<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></span></form><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/02/minions-307-sweet-deception.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-2565490539091080075Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:23:00 +00002012-02-13T14:47:37.919-08:00leftoversliquid nitrogenNumber 2Number 9Minions #306 - Let Sleeping Mu Shu Lie<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EA5wo2uYyCM/Ty-lqn_pjGI/AAAAAAAADf0/x85BH27zKvk/s1600/Minions-let+sleeping+mu+shu+lie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EA5wo2uYyCM/Ty-lqn_pjGI/AAAAAAAADf0/x85BH27zKvk/s400/Minions-let+sleeping+mu+shu+lie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for larger portions and side of egg roll!</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings Chop Sticks and Soy Saucers!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />Today's Minions at Work cartoon is brought to you by my ebook, <i>Dead Ringers. &nbsp;</i>In a near future where computer-driven holographic headstones reanimate the dead, the living are left with phantoms made of memories, real and imagined. &nbsp;Two stories of electronic ghosts that continue to haunt the living. &nbsp;First, a woman confronts the hologram an abusive spouse only to learn that some things are best left forgotten. &nbsp;Next, a young girl "kidnaps" the headstone of her dead boyfriend to save him from his parents, who threaten to erase everything the she loved about him. &nbsp;On the run from the law, the present, and the past, she and her fantastic holographic lover race his car towards a rocky cliff where death may just become a little more final the second time around!<br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=B004HO5G68" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />Also available on <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadringers-a-short-anthology-j-steven-york/1029515482?ean=2940012018809" target="_blank">Nook,</a> <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/35230" target="_blank">Smashwords,</a> and other major ebook dealers.<br /><br />See you folks back here next week!<br /><br /><b>- Minion Master Steve</b><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/02/minions-306-let-sleeping-mu-shu-lie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-1848718151871025586Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:53:00 +00002012-01-30T17:56:15.832-08:00goofing offNo. 1Number 2Minions #305 - Don't Diss the Messenger<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zRGR-Oqf3iA/TydE5LJAUgI/AAAAAAAADeE/cwG6P3vKAwI/s1600/Minions-Don't+harsh+the+messenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zRGR-Oqf3iA/TydE5LJAUgI/AAAAAAAADeE/cwG6P3vKAwI/s400/Minions-Don't+harsh+the+messenger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click Cartoon for Bigger Civility</td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><br /><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Lunch breaks and Unpaid Holidays!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cRGX1SfCGU8/TydGAa9QkqI/AAAAAAAADeM/IxiW_RGRmHY/s1600/Panorama+Cover-breath+away+from+dying-+test+x4-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cRGX1SfCGU8/TydGAa9QkqI/AAAAAAAADeM/IxiW_RGRmHY/s200/Panorama+Cover-breath+away+from+dying-+test+x4-2.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Yeah, I'm a little late this week. &nbsp;I was busy finishing up "A Breath Away from Dying," my second "Panorama Beach" mystery. &nbsp;It's off being copy edited, and hopefully will be available in ebook in a few weeks, depending on how the production pipeline goes. &nbsp;So forgive the heck out of me for doing something that will actually make me some money!<br /><br />Anyway, I'm enjoying the heck out of doing this series. &nbsp;Sheriff "Big" Bass is the best evil overlord I've come up with yet, and his reluctant minion, Deputy Tommy "Mustang" Sawtell, is even more fun. &nbsp;These books are set in 1967 in Panorama Beach, a fictional Florida panhandle resort packed with sugar-white beaches, amusement parks, outrageous&nbsp;miniature&nbsp;golf courses, reptile shows, aquatic parks, and of course, corruption of all kinds, not to mention a murder here or there. &nbsp;Come on down to beautiful Panorama Beach, where vacation is murder!<br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=B006HS58EW" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">See you guys back here next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;- Mystery Master Steve<br /><br />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! Your donations support Minions at Work! <input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----MIIHVwYJKoZIhvcNAQcEoIIHSDCCB0QCAQExggEwMIIBLAIBADCBlDCBjjELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxCzAJBgNVBAgTAkNBMRYwFAYDVQQHEw1Nb3VudGFpbiBWaWV3MRQwEgYDVQQKEwtQYXlQYWwgSW5jLjETMBEGA1UECxQKbGl2ZV9jZXJ0czERMA8GA1UEAxQIbGl2ZV9hcGkxHDAaBgkqhkiG9w0BCQEWDXJlQHBheXBhbC5jb20CAQAwDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEBBQAEgYCRKUH6gdpzDzkw6NOE2gRkeMO7+WftIEH3ma/sf+UVp00kCmPgcUnMJXqIXbIN1tI1c6FSmDC31Zd+b1FsGQepR1A50hhvkZ+5Vf6zxEIANCuZLiEha975RqACVMQmkbgrvG1Ywyi2SCTmSXJr6zcJcVs03+BIGow73yXZDHqZTjELMAkGBSsOAwIaBQAwgdQGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAUBggqhkiG9w0DBwQIS5RXBB/+/seAgbCxlf6V+ca1++JfJmwsmtEbtLaCAkZiMRFzrBImccNpnKTy6bPoEUquoYMg4XfioLycg/WGJ408Z1N7vibnIxDUfHz/0RrunaCoI2LP7y0t/YV0OXkHnccHTIR1lSVPKYHyTc4Uv/CWkWs9V7jsy2LP9NhBsu6q5/7mtfZowM5OF1GDCU+yycKymRV0OgvkycnU5YnIbbQXEfKGdQfFL031H5BFRx9CFcJz+WeJUecu76CCA4cwggODMIIC7KADAgECAgEAMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBBQUAMIGOMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzELMAkGA1UECBMCQ0ExFjAUBgNVBAcTDU1vdW50YWluIFZpZXcxFDASBgNVBAoTC1BheVBhbCBJbmMuMRMwEQYDVQQLFApsaXZlX2NlcnRzMREwDwYDVQQDFAhsaXZlX2FwaTEcMBoGCSqGSIb3DQEJARYNcmVAcGF5cGFsLmNvbTAeFw0wNDAyMTMxMDEzMTVaFw0zNTAyMTMxMDEzMTVaMIGOMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzELMAkGA1UECBMCQ0ExFjAUBgNVBAcTDU1vdW50YWluIFZpZXcxFDASBgNVBAoTC1BheVBhbCBJbmMuMRMwEQYDVQQLFApsaXZlX2NlcnRzMREwDwYDVQQDFAhsaXZlX2FwaTEcMBoGCSqGSIb3DQEJARYNcmVAcGF5cGFsLmNvbTCBnzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOBjQAwgYkCgYEAwUdO3fxEzEtcnI7ZKZL412XvZPugoni7i7D7prCe0AtaHTc97CYgm7NsAtJyxNLixmhLV8pyIEaiHXWAh8fPKW+R017+EmXrr9EaquPmsVvTywAAE1PMNOKqo2kl4Gxiz9zZqIajOm1fZGWcGS0f5JQ2kBqNbvbg2/Za+GJ/qwUCAwEAAaOB7jCB6zAdBgNVHQ4EFgQUlp98u8ZvF71ZP1LXChvsENZklGswgbsGA1UdIwSBszCBsIAUlp98u8ZvF71ZP1LXChvsENZklGuhgZSkgZEwgY4xCzAJBgNVBAYTAlVTMQswCQYDVQQIEwJDQTEWMBQGA1UEBxMNTW91bnRhaW4gVmlldzEUMBIGA1UEChMLUGF5UGFsIEluYy4xEzARBgNVBAsUCmxpdmVfY2VydHMxETAPBgNVBAMUCGxpdmVfYXBpMRwwGgYJKoZIhvcNAQkBFg1yZUBwYXlwYWwuY29tggEAMAwGA1UdEwQFMAMBAf8wDQYJKoZIhvcNAQEFBQADgYEAgV86VpqAWuXvX6Oro4qJ1tYVIT5DgWpE692Ag422H7yRIr/9j/iKG4Thia/Oflx4TdL+IFJBAyPK9v6zZNZtBgPBynXb048hsP16l2vi0k5Q2JKiPDsEfBhGI+HnxLXEaUWAcVfCsQFvd2A1sxRr67ip5y2wwBelUecP3AjJ+YcxggGaMIIBlgIBATCBlDCBjjELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxCzAJBgNVBAgTAkNBMRYwFAYDVQQHEw1Nb3VudGFpbiBWaWV3MRQwEgYDVQQKEwtQYXlQYWwgSW5jLjETMBEGA1UECxQKbGl2ZV9jZXJ0czERMA8GA1UEAxQIbGl2ZV9hcGkxHDAaBgkqhkiG9w0BCQEWDXJlQHBheXBhbC5jb20CAQAwCQYFKw4DAhoFAKBdMBgGCSqGSIb3DQEJAzELBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHAYJKoZIhvcNAQkFMQ8XDTA5MDUwNzIzMTIzM1owIwYJKoZIhvcNAQkEMRYEFBvwt9F/BWfd3cWMxmeAMXYiIqYKMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUABIGANqXCxFWNEe+AeVQ6KrK5FmW5j7Rd4nn/q4t87HxstRXwRAyN1y6N2NDiWneTVVG3LikpX2LG4E7PthOw+yFBh5U6Ygp4zqTLwo/tOGrEXvdIUQJBYnfiIKWOOA7P5YBRcEE3WuYeshtHOYN9oZ6kXEQ2TnKsWYTouwYFbWUQF8s=-----END PKCS7----- " /><input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></form>http://www.minionsatwork.com/2012/01/click-cartoon-for-bigger-civility.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (J. Steven York)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28158167.post-3091118983043254621Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +00002012-01-23T17:27:38.242-08:00interfaceMinion CincomusicNumber 9Submarine NaughtylessMinions #304 - Mixmastered Metaphors<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rf0WvsIQQTE/Tx1HhOsrtOI/AAAAAAAADcc/nWrIjwUKFnU/s1600/Minions-Mixmastered+Metaphors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rf0WvsIQQTE/Tx1HhOsrtOI/AAAAAAAADcc/nWrIjwUKFnU/s400/Minions-Mixmastered+Metaphors.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click cartoon to bust some bigger rhymes</td></tr></tbody></table><hr /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Greetings, Dance Tracks and Beat Boxes!</span> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />Now sure, this week's cartoon seems pretty&nbsp;irreverent, but I'm making a point here. &nbsp;User interfaces are both an interest of mine, and a constant source of annoyance. &nbsp;One of my mutant powers seems to be and ability to spot those annoying problems in a interface, program or product design that are going to trip up users and make them crazy. &nbsp;Most such points of human/product interaction seem to be designed either by engineers who are concerned mainly with function and the coolness of the code, or designers who are interested mainly in&nbsp;aesthetics, and not usability.<br /><br />To give you a couple of examples that makes me insane on a daily basis:<br /><br />Charter Cable has seen fit to give me a Motorola DVR that seems to have been designed in the 1980s. &nbsp;The menu looks like the output from a&nbsp;Commodore&nbsp;64, and the remote it terribly designed. &nbsp;Most especially, right above the "fast forward" button there is another button marked "live." &nbsp;So, when watching a show and fast-forwarding through a commercial, it's easy to hit "live," which takes you out of the program you're watching and into whatever is live on the tuner. &nbsp;It then takes several button pushes and menus to get back into your program, and about half the time you'll dump yourself back to the beginning of the program by accident, and have to fast-forward (careful you don't push the wrong button again!) to find the point the the program where you left off. &nbsp;This happens to me once or twice a night (and probably millions of times to other Charter customers) resulting in much cursing and yelling at the box, which does not have a "give a s&amp;!t" button.<br /><br />Less annoying but equally stupid are the comic pages of the <i>Washington Post</i> web-site. &nbsp;I read a couple of comics in enjoy there every day,&nbsp;<i>Doonesbury, Pearls Before Swine,</i> and a few others. &nbsp;(I subscribe to two newspapers on my Kindle, but neither of them includes comics.)&nbsp; &nbsp;We will ignore the fact that it's nearly impossible to scroll around the <i>Washington Post</i> comic pages with a touch screen (like on my phone, where I usually view them) without accidentally hitting an ad or a navigation link to someplace you don't want to go, or that the layout of the page (which takes forever to load and contains exactly ONE daily three-panel comic strip) pretty much requires scrolling to see the comic on a phone, no matter which way you orient the screen. <br /><br />What's <i>really </i>stupid is if you want to see any strip but the current one, you've got to:<br />A: Select a date from a pull-down menu.<br />B: Wait for the pull down menu to go away.<br />C: Click a "go" button next to the pull-down. &nbsp;(Don't accidentally click the pull down again with your fat finger!)<br />D: Wait for the <i>entire </i>page to slowly reload you can again see one three panel comic strip.<br /><br />Want to see the day before yesterday, or today's strip again? &nbsp;You've got to go through the whole thing again!<br /><br />Now, admittedly, my navigation here is not much better, but they supposedly have highly-paid professional web designers, and I have me and Blogger to do this site. &nbsp;Anyway, look at most of the better designed web-comics, and they have "forward" and "backward" navigation buttons to view previous strips, and often clickable calendars as well. &nbsp;The <i>Washington Post</i>, on the other hand, apparently just likes to watch you jump through hoops and get annoyed for now reason.<br /><br />Now, what has that got to do with today's panel? &nbsp;Well, one place where interface designers go wrong is to take a metaphor too far. &nbsp;Usually Apple is the one company that gets this stuff right, but (maybe because the late Steve Jobs notoriously didn't seem to "get" books at all) the iBooks app on the iPad included an animated, touch activate page turn. &nbsp;You could manually flip the page, and see the animated page moving on the screen in sync with your finger-tip.<br /><br />Now, I'm sure this was a great thing for the software programmers and designers who came up with it and&nbsp;implemented&nbsp;it. &nbsp;From a "gee-wiz, look at my new toy" standpoint it was pretty neat. &nbsp;But from a usability standpoint, it was idiotic. &nbsp;It was taking the metaphor of the book too far, just because they could. &nbsp;It adds nothing to the usability or convenience of reading on the iPad, and in fact, the only reason is isn't totally in the way is that people are used to ignoring the intrusion of a page flip on a real book. <br /><br />But when people first use a black-and-white epaper screen reader, they almost universally complain about the far quicker and less-intrusive "screen flash" that happens when you change pages. &nbsp;The reason, of course, is that while it's much quicker and less intrusive, you're less used to it, so of course you notice it more. &nbsp;Most people quickly get used to the "flash," and it's effectively invisible after a while. &nbsp;But the point is, anything that kicks you out of the reading experience is bad. &nbsp;You need to work to minimize those things. &nbsp;Apple's page-turn animation goes the other way.<br /><br />Of course, you can turn the page flip off, but it's interesting that (at least up until recently), most people who read books on iPads used apps like Amazon's or Barne's and Noble's, and I believe those just change pages without any graphical showboating.<br /><br />On the other hand, I saw this great video the other day showing a new way of using "page flips" to quickly navigate through a book, magazine or document, something that's very cumbersome to do on most menu and "forward/back button" operated ereaders.<br /><br /><br />This is a <i>smart </i>use of the page/book metaphor, not for showboating or unneeded cosmetics, but to actually use the familiar design of a printed book to make it <i>easier </i>and <i>less intrusive</i> to navigate through its electronic cousin. &nbsp;That's doing right what Apple did wrong.<br /><br />So, getting back to today's cartoon, I do not need my iPad to animate page turns, or my mixdeck submarine console to make scratching sounds or play music, any more than a need my automobile to smell like a horse.<br /><br />End of rant.<br /><br />Speaking of ebooks, today's cartoon is brought to you by science fiction collection, "Walking the Virtch." &nbsp;Check it out on Amazon.com!<br /><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&amp;bc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;fc1=000000&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;t=tsunridgpubl-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as4&amp;m=amazon&amp;f=ifr&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;asins=B0058UW2VC" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Also available on <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/walking-the-virtch-j-steven-york/1104083227?ean=2940012805416&amp;itm=1&amp;usri=%22walking+the+virtch%22" target="_blank">Nook</a>, <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70022" target="_blank">Smashwords,</a> and other major ebook dealers! <br /><br />See you guys back here next week!<br /><br />&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<b><i> - Minion Mixmaster Steve</i></b><br /><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"><input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />Support starving Minions in Lair-land! 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Steven York)0